If Corpus Christi voters feel like they've been called upon to vote in a lot of elections this year, it's because they have. There were party primaries in March, runoffs in April, a special congressional election in June, the general election in November and, now, the mayoral and four district City Council runoffs.

Early voting starts Saturday, Dec. 8. Runoff Election Day is Dec. 18. Any registered voter who is a Corpus Christi resident can vote for mayor. Registered voters who are residents of Districts 1, 2, 3 and 5 also can vote in the runoff for their district.

We know that voting isn't foremost on people's minds seven days before Christmas. And we understand the notion of voter fatigue. But the physical act of voting is hardly a blip on the calorie counter. Voting is a privilege to be cherished and exercised, not rued. And this election is important to everyone who's eligible to vote in it.

Who should lead Corpus Christi?

The mayor is the face of Corpus Christi, the setter of its tone. The mayor controls the agenda at council meetings and presides over those meetings. His vote counts the same as the other eight council members. But he is more than a figurehead. We use the pronoun "he" because both candidates are men.

We recommend the incumbent, Joe McComb. In the general election, we opted for change because Aislynn Campbell, whom we endorsed, would have made a promising change agent. McComb is pursuing fiscal responsibility, which is good, but we wanted a a mayor with an ambitious vision for a better quality of life. Campbell finished third in November, and that leaves 28-year-old engineer Michael Hall, whose time residing here is short and whose government experience is zero. Campbell was a risk worth taking; Hall is not. McComb offers a stabilizing predictability we can trust until the next election offers a better alternative.

McComb came within 197 votes of winning outright. Hall has pointed out that more than half of the voters rejected McComb. That's a mathematical fact that borders on misleading. McComb also received more than double the votes Hall received — a much more telling mathematical fact.

District 1

We recommend appointed incumbent Everett Roy, a banker, to represent District 1. His predecessor, Carolyn Vaughn, who resigned when appointed to fill an unexpired county commissioner term, and other council members like and respect Roy. We opted for change in the general election for Roy's seat, and our candidate didn't make the runoff. Roy is a military veteran, conservative and conscientious. He better reflects the district than opponent Joy Miller.

District 2

Incumbent Ben Molina, a roofing contractor, is still our pick. He has been conscientious and responsive in his first term. His opponent, Sylvia Campos, doesn't offer a compelling argument against re-electing Molina.

Insurance broker Roland Barrera is still our choice. An unseemly attempt by his opponent, used-car dealer Eric Cantu, to disqualify Barrera did not change our minds. Barrera failed to file a financial disclosure, an oversight he rectified swiftly after it was pointed out to him — demonstrating that he wasn't trying to hide anything. Disqualification from running is not a prescribed legal remedy. If Cantu didn't know it, his attorney should have pointed it out to him. Also, a key instigator of the effort to remove Barrera doesn't reside in District 3 and is in the same line of business as Barrera. All told, Barrera comes off looking cleaner than his accusers. Also, let's remember why Barrera is the best candidate: His record of volunteerism, community service on boards and commissions, and understanding of how local government works dwarfs anything Cantu has to offer.

District 5

The choice is between Gil Hernandez, whose Republican Party affiliation is no secret, and Paul Thurman, executive director of the Nueces County Republican Party. City Council races are nonpartisan. Or at least they're supposed to be. Hernandez's Republicanism, in practice, amounts to him being an extreme fiscal tightwad. It's more a reflection of personality than organizational agenda. We can live with that. Thurman's partisanship is also a source of income. It crosses a line. Some lines of work — his and ours being two examples — don't mix with elective office, or shouldn't.

Our final comment is that we hope city residents who are registered to vote will show their dedication to their city by voting in this runoff.